Did you know.... The wing of an osprey contains more feathers than other large predatory birds, and the wings are longer and thinner than the wings of other raptors. Learn more about the osprey wing...

Grandma Osprey - Meeri Zetterstrom Wildlife in Vermont has few advocates quite like Meeri Zetterstrom, a native of Finland who spent more than two decades working to protect and expand the osprey population in northern Vermont. Known as "Grandma Osprey" to many, Meeri worked tirelessly to educate people about the plight of ospreys at Lake Arrowhead, a small manmade lake that straddles Milton and Georgia, Vt. Thanks in large part to Meeri's efforts, Lake Arrowhead's ospreys have produced chicks every year since 1998. Meeri and her husband, Kurt, moved to the shore of Lake Arrowhead in the '60s, and lived on a bluff looking down on the water. Together they enjoyed the beauty of the area and advocated on behalf of a wide variety of wildlife, including ospreys. In 1988, Kurt Zetterstrom died. Meeri, alone with the birds and mammals that enjoyed her corner of paradise, funneled her energies into osprey protection and education. In 1988, she convinced Central Vermont Public Service to build osprey platforms at Lake Arrowhead, and CVPS and the state began a concerted effort to help the birds gain the peace they desired. Over the next decade, Meeri became a tireless crusader for the ospreys, writing letters to media and politicians, and tackling a series of problems the birds encountered. Ultimately, Meeri earned the nickname "Grandma Osprey" after Lake Arrowhead's ospreys hatched a single chick in 1998.  In 2001, Meeri was honored with the publication of a new book for children, "Meeri Meets the Ospreys," published by CVPS and donated to every third-grader and library in Vermont in an effort to educate children and preserve Meeri's message. In 2009, CVPS announced the creation of the CVPS-Zetterstrom Environmental Award, which will be presented annually to one individual or organization that has displayed Meeri’s concern and caring for the environment.  Meeri was honored by plans for the award, which highlight her great work for ospreys.      Terms of Use - Copyright 2009 Central Vermont Public Service Copyright 2002-2003 photos CVPS, Gustav W. Verderber, Floyd Scholz and Department of Fish & Wildlife Web related issues